IRAN - Profile - Sayyed Mehdi Hosseini.

Known as "Mr. Buy-back" because he pioneered this approach in the early 1990s, Hosseini in August 2000 was moved over to head Kala Naft UK, NIOC's London-based procurement arm. In Kela he replaced Ardeshir Fathinejad, who then was transferred to head Kala's office in Calgary, Canada. Rahgozar, had left Kala UK in early September 1999 to head NIOC International.

Previously, Hosseini was deputy oil minister for international upstream affairs in charge of NIOC's E&P negotiations with foreign companies, Hosseini was a key man in this sector for years. He lost this position in 1996 to then Deputy Oil Minister Dr. Mohammad Hadi Nejad Hosseinian and in May 1997 he was made head of the National Petrochemical Co. (NPC) with the rank of deputy oil minister. But Zanganeh brought Hosseini back as an advisor on international upstream affairs in August 1997 and gave the top NPC post to Mohammad Nematzadeh (see below). Dr. Hosseinian, a former heavy industry minister, was made ambassador to the UN as Kamal Kharrazi became foreign minister. Hosseini was made oil minister for international affairs again in April 1998 and became in charge of BBCs.

Husseini is among executives slated to take up higher positions in future. A practical man, he is shrewd. Like all the pragmatists, however, his powers are limited by rules influenced by the traditionalists.